Second War #11: A new weapon for the Horde

August 1, 2026•Lore•Brendo Arruda

"Second War" series — Second War #11. The story of Warcraft II, from the exodus of Stormwind to the destruction of the Dark Portal. The episodes are listed in order at the end of the post.

The Alliance discovered the Horde's dragons at sea. At the Battle of Zul'Dare, the Kul Tiras fleet under Admiral Daelin Proudmoore intercepted the orc fleet. The fight seemed even until the red dragons, enslaved by the Dragonmaw clan, appeared in the sky and burned the Alliance ships. Proudmoore had to fall back, and the Horde won the sea.

The Battle of Zul'Dare

The Kul Tiras fleet was the best in the human world, and Proudmoore knew how to fight at sea. He intercepted the Horde fleet near Zul'Dare.

Ship against ship, the Alliance had the upper hand. The orcs had little experience at sea, and the sailors of Kul Tiras were the best trained in Azeroth.

Dragons in the sky

In the middle of the battle, the red dragons came down from the sky. Ridden by orcs of the Dragonmaw clan, they breathed fire on the Alliance ships. Sails, hulls and crews burned.

The Alliance had no answer. No one expected the orcs to have dragons. Proudmoore ordered a retreat to save what was left of the fleet.

The fear of dragons

Zul'Dare changed the war. From then on, the Alliance knew the Horde could strike from anywhere, and that no wall or ship was safe from fire coming from the sky.

The Alliance's answer would come little by little: the gryphons of the Wildhammer dwarves, from the Hinterlands, who joined the war shortly after, were one of the weapons used against the dragons.

What this changes in the story

Zul'Dare showed that the Horde had a weapon no human kingdom could face alone. From then on, the Alliance had to change how it fought: protect its fleets, use the Wildhammer gryphons and spread out its troops so they would not all be burned at once.

For Daelin Proudmoore, the defeat at Zul'Dare was the beginning of a personal hatred for the Horde, which became complete with the death of his son at Crestfall. That hatred leads Daelin to attack Durotar years later and to die at the walls of Theramore.

The enslaved red dragons also show the tragic side of the war for the peoples who did not choose to fight. They were the children of the Aspect of Life, used to kill.

Episode timeline

The Kul Tiras fleet intercepts the Horde near Zul'Dare.
The Alliance has the upper hand in the naval battle.
The red dragons attack the ships.
Proudmoore orders the retreat.
The Horde takes control of the sea.

Who's who in this episode

| Name | Who they are | |------|--------| | Daelin Proudmoore | The admiral of Kul Tiras, who led the Alliance fleet. | | Red dragons | Alexstrasza's dragonflight, enslaved by the Horde. | | Dragonmaw clan | The orcs who rode and controlled the dragons. | | Wildhammer | The dwarves of the Hinterlands, gryphon riders. |

Where to see it in WotLK

Dustwallow Marsh: Theramore, the city of Jaina Proudmoore, the admiral's daughter.
Wetlands: Grim Batol, where the dragons came from.
Hinterlands: Aerie Peak, home of the Wildhammer dwarves and their gryphons.